MOBILE, Ala.-- When Jim Faust was hired to direct a fall musical at Joe Jefferson Playhouse, he thought the show would be “Fiddler on the Roof.”

But when a licensing issue made “Fiddler” go kaput a mere two weeks before auditions, Faust and the JJP board of directors agreed to take on “The Full Monty.”

“I went from prayer shawls to g-strings in about 2½ hours,” Faust said.

“The Full Monty” entered the lexicon with the 1997 movie about a group of down-on-their-luck guys who decide to put on their own Chippendales show and ditch all textiles — go completely au naturel — in the grand finale. In 2000, “Monty” became an Americanized, Broadway musical.

“The movie was only 92 minutes long; the musical is longer,” Faust said. “It has lost some complexity of character, but has gained a lot of heart.”

Faust believes his “blue-collar show” is even more relevant in 2010 than in 1997, because it’s about a group of men who are unemployed and have lost their self-confidence as a result.

“We have lots of nice character developments — you root for these guys. In each character’s arc, he is validated. ... There is a message of acceptance,” Faust said.

And now “Monty,” in all its full frontal drollery, is coming to JJP. In the story, the characters are taking it all off for money, but at JJP, the actors are doing it for free.

Is Mobile ready for Montydom? To find out, we attended a few fully-dressed rehearsals.

July 14-15

The stage is completely bare, and the back is a jumble of props and tools. It looks like someone’s attic. Zeb Brown, as Jerry, and Eric Gallichant, as Dave, are rehearsing a scene in which their characters are trying to jog to get in shape.

These two were fellow cast members in 2009’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” with Mobile Shakespeare Company, also directed by Faust. Another cast member from that show is Jasyn Fowler, who plays self-professed “loser” Malcolm in “Monty.” Now they’re back on stage together (and will eventually be in the all-together).

The guys are holding their scripts and making the blocking notes in the margins. “Save the sweet talk, Jerry ... I’m keeping MY pants on,” Gallichant says, in character.

“Think of all those women who’ll be lusting after your luscious body,” Brown says, in character.

These guys are pros. They aren’t even cracking up.

Gallichant auditioned for “Monty” because he wanted to work with Faust again. He thought he would try out for a non-singing role. Much to his surprise, he ended up with a role in which he will not only sing, but also dance.

Fowler wanted to do “Monty” because it hadn’t been done before in Mobile. “We’ve stepped out of our comfort zone,” he says.

Faust walks his actors through the scenes with great care. You can tell he’s done his homework. A good director has to be a planner, a psychologist, a philosopher, a choreographer, a stand-in actor and a teacher, sometimes all at once. And Faust is also a set-builder.

July 19

Mark Jeansonne is here for this scene, in which he plays a “real” stripper. He’s looking super-fit and Springsteen-esque in jeans, boots and white T-shirt.

Faust choreographs a fight scene with the stripper and the two wanna-bes, Jerry and Dave. Over and over again, they practice a punch-out and a fall, which will take place in a bathroom. Aha — this explains why there’s an abandoned potty right inside the theater’s side door.

July 26

Most of the cast is here tonight, including the actresses who play the wives of our soon-to-be-overexposed guys. The unpainted prosceniums are up and the music directors, Paulette Clark and Alan Farmer, are in the orchestra pit.

“Do your thing, Mark,” Faust says to Jeansonne, indicating that a run-through of the first striptease is in order. “No more than eight counts. Don’t turn and shake it too much; you’ll just be in your G here.” The rest of the cast snickers.

Faust discusses the costumes for the women, who in this first scene are attending Ladies’ Night at the strip club. They’ll be wearing their own outfits. “Make it colorful, make it fun,” he says. “But no Daisy Dukes.”

July 28

Art imitates life in this scene, in which the characters are auditioning hopefuls to join their bare bodkins performance.

Daniel Kemp, as “Horse,” runs through his big number, “Big Black Man,” ending it with a thunderous drop-to-the-floor split. It’s a dazzler. “Do it again!” one of the cast members shouts from the seats.

Chase Byrd auditions as “Ethan,” who cannot sing or dance. When the characters ask him what he has to offer, he stuns them all by dropping his drawers to reveal his assets — thankfully, today in pantomine only.

Dylan Butler, 9, who plays “Jerry’s” son, “Nathan,” has just joined the cast. He has a shy smile and is still learning his lines, but seems to be enjoying himself.

Terry Canova, who in real life is a coach at UMS-Wright Preparatory School, is also trying out in this scene. He has several other parts in “Monty.” Canova has never been in a show before, Faust says. “I asked him why he was auditioning and he said it was on his bucket list. So I had to cast him.”

Sue Hawkins is “Jeanette” the piano player, who has all the best lines. “Guys, basically, every word out of her mouth is going to get a laugh,” Faust tells the cast.

Aug. 1

The ladies are rehearsing their first big number, “It’s a Woman’s World.” Faust is choreographing a little footwork for them on the fly. He thrusts his hips to demonstrate, prompting giggles.

Meanwhile, in the green room, the men are doing a separate dance number, working with choreographer Rebekah Howard-Womack. “Step around, pop your jackets and do a big hip roll,” she says, giving them a slow, sinuous demo. “Take the shoulders back, really open the chest out – this is a big, sexy number.”

The guys practice their hip rolls and jacket drops, discovering that it’s not easy to bump and grind in rhythm.

Back on the main stage, the gals are going back over their now-perfected number, ending with what Faust calls a “Michael Bennett” three-quarter turn. “Awesome,” Faust says.

Aug. 2

A shimmery curtain has transformed the stage. The music directors are working with the men on their final number, “Let it Go.” “It’s got to be full of energy,” Clark reminds them.

Aug. 4

You knew this show just had to have a line about “size doesn’t matter,” but the surprise is that the line comes from Jeanette the piano player, reassuring Horse that he’ll be a perfectly adequate member of the company. “It’s what you do with it that counts,” she says.

Aug. 9

Tonight is a pre-rehearsal photo shoot. The guys are onstage, wearing nothing but boxer shorts and police hats. The women are dressed up for ladies’ night, with styled hair and full makeup.

“The musical is so much funnier than the movie,” says cast member Cindy Cazalas. “We laughed all through the script. I like to do shows that are fun and different and make people laugh.”

Faust confesses that between set-building and painting by day and rehearsals by night, he’s been getting very little sleep. The set looks nearly complete.

Mistakes will happen onstage, Faust warns the cast. “It’s how you deal with it onstage that matters. This is the week to get it out of your system.”

Faust has informed the cast that after the curtain call, the men will be “literally dancing in the aisles – all the way to the lobby.”

Which brings us to the $64,000 question about that final number: What exactly will happen at the end of that final number? Will it really be “The Full Monty?”

“You’ll have to come and see,” Faust says.

Opening night is Aug. 20.

See "The Full Monty"Show dates and times: Aug. 20-21 and Aug. 27-28, 8 p.m.; Aug. 22 and 29 at 2 p.m. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for seniors and military and $10 for students. To make reservations, call 251-471-1534, or visit joejeffersonplayers.com.